**Former President Trump Attends Pre-Trial Hearing in Hush-Money Case**
**Image Credit: Spencer Platt/Getty Images**
Former President Donald Trump is seen leaving a pre-trial hearing in a hush-money case at Manhattan criminal court in New York City. This marks a significant moment as a former president faces the start of his criminal trial.
Trump is accused of 34 felony counts related to allegedly falsifying New York business records to hide damaging information that could have impacted the 2016 presidential election. The trial commences with the selection of an 18-person jury, expected to span approximately six weeks. Throughout the proceedings, the focus remains on the keyphrase “Donald Trump impeachment trial.”
Donald Trump’s Legal Challenges Amid Presidential Ambitions
Former President Donald Trump is facing a trial to potentially seek the presidency once more. The trial, initially delayed for 20 days by New York Judge Juan Merchan, aimed to allow both legal teams ample time to review 31,000 records from the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Recently, Judge Merchan imposed a gag order on Trump, prohibiting him from publicly discussing witnesses, prosecutors, or jurors. This order was later extended to include families after Trump targeted the judge’s daughter on social media.
With the trial unfolding just months before the upcoming November presidential election, Trump finds himself in a close race with President Biden, his successor and current contender for reelection. Despite facing numerous state and federal charges, Trump’s legal predicaments have not diminished the enthusiasm of his staunch supporters.
Among Trump’s other ongoing legal battles are those concerning his alleged involvement in the January 6 Capitol riot, mishandling of classified information, and purported election interference in Georgia. These trials add complexity to Trump’s potential return to the presidency, with the keyphrase “Donald Trump impeachment trial” central to discussions surrounding his legal challenges.
In the spring of the previous year, Donald Trump faced indictment by a grand jury, becoming the first former or sitting president to confront criminal charges. The indictment, brought by District Attorney Alvin Bragg, was swiftly dismissed by Republicans as an abuse of power. Trump maintains his plea of not guilty.
The focal point of the trial revolves around 11 “hush money” transactions directed to adult film actress Stormy Daniels. During Trump’s initial presidential campaign, Daniels threatened to disclose an alleged affair shortly after his marriage to Melania Trump.
The lawsuit contends that payments originated from Trump’s primary business entity, the Trump Organization, to Michael Cohen, who then held a position as vice president and legal counsel within the organization. These payments were inaccurately labeled as “legal retainers” by the Trump Organization; however, they were, in reality, reimbursements to Cohen for his payments to Daniels.
Shortly before the 2016 election, Cohen transferred funds to Daniels, which Trump later reimbursed after winning. Despite denying an affair with Daniels, Trump confessed in 2018 to reimbursing Cohen, claiming it was unrelated to his campaign.
Additionally, the indictment mentions a $150,000 payment to Karen McDougal, a Playboy model who alleged an intimate relationship with Trump. McDougal has publicly shared her account.
While the payments and falsified records are acknowledged, the crucial aspect for Bragg to establish is whether Trump orchestrated them to facilitate other illegal activities, such as breaching campaign finance laws and misrepresenting payments for tax purposes.
In 2018, Cohen confessed to paying Daniels $130,000, admitting guilt to eight charges, including tax evasion and violating campaign finance laws, implicating Trump in the process.
Donald Trump, as he seeks the 2024 presidency, is confronting a total of 88 state and federal charges. These charges, which include matters related to his efforts to remain in power post the 2020 election loss to Biden, are a significant challenge. Recent civil trials in New York have not been in Trump’s favor. He has been directed to compensate over $355 million for engaging in business fraud and to pay $83 million to former columnist E. Jean Carroll for defamation.
Former President Donald Trump was photographed at the New York State Supreme Court in New York on Thursday, February 15, 2024, in an image credited to Steven Hirsch/Getty Images. Facing charges in federal court in Washington for his involvement in the January 6 attack and in Florida for mishandling classified documents, Trump also confronts state charges in Georgia for alleged election interference. Despite these legal challenges, Trump has recently secured victories in these cases. The proceedings in Florida and Washington have been postponed pending a Supreme Court decision on Trump’s presidential immunity. Additionally, a judge in Georgia dismissed three charges against Trump due to lack of detail, with the possibility of prosecutors appealing the ruling.
Trump faces 10 felony counts in the state and may be indicted again by a grand jury with more detailed charges. Unlike his civil trials in Manhattan, where he could skip in-person hearings, Trump must now be present in court daily for this criminal trial, except if a judge rules otherwise. This means he will be in New York almost every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday for the next two months. Trump stated his commitment to attending court during the day and campaign events at night after a pre-trial hearing in February.
Using his court appearances as a platform, Trump has been addressing the press about his cases and campaign agenda. He has unfoundedly labeled the trials as politically motivated and criticized them at his rallies nationwide.
His mounting legal issues have become a source of fundraising for his campaign, with significant increases in donations during news events related to his cases and court appearances. The highest donation spike occurred when focusing on the keyphrase “Donald Trump impeachment trial” in English.
Donald Trump’s Legal Battles and Fundraising Challenges
Donald Trump’s mugshot was made public during his criminal case in Georgia. His fundraising efforts from supporters often portray the legal proceedings as “witch hunts” and “election interference,” despite lacking evidence. Recent Federal Election Committee reports indicate a decline in the amount of donations he is receiving compared to previous events.
Following his not guilty pleas in cases related to hush money payments in New York and election interference charges in Georgia, Trump initially raised around $4 million. However, after significant court appearances, including his testimony on the witness stand in a civil fraud trial, his fundraising plummeted to $200,000 and $400,000 in November and December.
Despite his legal troubles, Trump’s popularity among potential voters remains largely unaffected and has even garnered increased support in some circles. Nevertheless, a potential conviction could sway independent and swing voters. Recent polls, such as the NPR/PBS/Marist poll, suggest that if Trump were convicted, Biden would gain a 6% lead, particularly due to independent voters.
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